The Promotion Chasing Thread

[big mean bunny]

People act like the premiership is a closed shop, but there are have been just short of 50 teams in it in total, and off them 17 have been in the prem and then dropped two levels below it, including Man City who have since gone back and won the league. Obviously back by the owner, but who is to say that won't happen again.

Look at the league for div 3. If you had asked me then how many of those teams would make the prem within 15 years I would maybe have said Fulham, however even with the spending I was still sceptical (that might be a Wolves fan thing as we know money doesn't mean successful promotions)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996–97_in_English_football

 

[Tom_ITFC]

No where near as negative of Wolves as I was expecting. I am already starting to notice how people seem to have gotten the nails out for Bournemouth in recent months, a few people have mentioned to me that Bournemouth are just the new Wigan and have spent more than people think. Who gives a fuck? I hate that attitude from fans of prem clubs who think anyone whose owners spend money are somehow cheating. They haven't been claiming to be playing 11 lads out of the nearest pub.

But they are cheating as FFP was in the rules for last season and this season. Bournemouth have spent far beyond their means, even if they haven't spent as much as some clubs. The fact is, it's ridiculous that some clubs abide by the rules and those who don't, still don't recieve punishment.

 

[TractorBoys]

Shit day for us. At least on Saturday we've got the closest thing to a guaranteed three points.

This just made me feel a bit queezy. Don't think I could handle it if we go down an early goal.

Town and 'absolute must wins' makes me nervous.

 

[Rammy]

It's BLACKPOOL

EDIT: Cue us losing to them on Tuesday, and this coming back to haunt me

 

[Tom_ITFC]

Unbeaten in 3 Blackpool. I'm sure Mick will see this as a threat and throw on Chris Wood to match their physicality whilst dropping Sears once again.

 

[MagpieBee]

I would love it if Blackpool could get something out of the next 2 games. Its a shame part of our hopes rest on them doing well...

 

[AFCB_Mark]

But they are cheating as FFP was in the rules for last season and this season. Bournemouth have spent far beyond their means, even if they haven't spent as much as some clubs. The fact is, it's ridiculous that some clubs abide by the rules and those who don't, still don't recieve punishment.

We abide by the rules without a problem. We passed FFP for last season and were one of the first clubs to receive confirmation of doing so late last year. For this season we will find out late this year but we don't expect any problems.

Whether FFP as it stands is fit for purpose is another question you may like to ask. FFP as it stands is being relaxed in coming years as well funny enough.

 

[PDS]

But they are cheating as FFP was in the rules for last season and this season. Bournemouth have spent far beyond their means, even if they haven't spent as much as some clubs. The fact is, it's ridiculous that some clubs abide by the rules and those who don't, still don't recieve punishment.

Hmm, well we passed FFP, windfalls from Grabban & Lallana helped no end but selling players is perfectly within the rules.

Where is Lancy? He had a superb list ranging from Forest to Derby to Fulham and detailed knowledge of everyone's books. It was great.

 

[LondonOrn]

While it's true that Bournemouth are pretty loaded at the moment, is it accurate to say that they haven't actually spent that much on their core squad (with the exception of Tokelo Rantie, who at £2.5 million is looking a pretty rash investment for someone who is still a fringe player - time will tell)? Looking at the team on Soccerbase that blitzed Middlesbrough a couple of weeks ago, most of their players are freebies from lower league clubs or those who've risen through the ranks from the youth team and have flourished under Eddie Howe's excellent management, with Matt Richie at £400K from Swindon being the most expensive of their starting line-up.

I imagine the reason they continue to do so well, is not because they splash the cash, but because unlike most other lower league small clubs who may get the odd promotion to the second tier but quickly find themselves back where they belong, they don't have to constantly sell their brighter talents to clubs higher up the pyramid to balance the books and owing to their high budget can afford to pay wages that match or exceed those of the bigger clubs so they can keep on their best players season after season. That, as well as having naturally talented players, many of which have been at the club most if not all of the time Eddie has been manager and have played together as a team while continuing to improve during the club's rise up the leagues. Feel free to correct me any AFCB fans if I'm wrong though...

 

[big mean bunny]

Having spent a few hours on the beach front once at Bournemouth, I couldn't think of a better place to live if you had pro footballer cash. You'd have to triple my money to get me to move to some places from there!

 

[HertsWolf]

I'd like to thank the Evening Standard for their contribution to sports journalism, illustrating an article on the race for promotion from the Championship with the Premier League table. Helpful.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

While it's true that Bournemouth are pretty loaded at the moment, is it accurate to say that they haven't actually spent that much on their core squad (with the exception of Tokelo Rantie, who at £2.5 million is looking a pretty rash investment for someone who is still a fringe player - time will tell)? Looking at the team on Soccerbase that blitzed Middlesbrough a couple of weeks ago, most of their players are freebies from lower league clubs or those who've risen through the ranks from the youth team and have flourished under Eddie Howe's excellent management, with Matt Richie at £400K from Swindon being the most expensive of their starting line-up.

I imagine the reason they continue to do so well, is not because they splash the cash, but because unlike most other lower league small clubs who may get the odd promotion to the second tier but quickly find themselves back where they belong, they don't have to constantly sell their brighter talents to clubs higher up the pyramid to balance the books and owing to their high budget can afford to pay wages that match or exceed those of the bigger clubs so they can keep on their best players season after season. That, as well as having naturally talented players, many of which have been at the club most if not all of the time Eddie has been manager and have played together as a team while continuing to improve during the club's rise up the leagues. Feel free to correct me any AFCB fans if I'm wrong though...

This is the first time in our entire history that we've been able to keep our good players from being sold. It's consistently been the story of all decent AFCB sides forever, have a decent season or two and then it all breaks up and we start from scratch. Obviously that's mostly how all smaller clubs have to operate. The owners have at last allowed us to build something over 3-4 years and keep it together.

Rantie is a funny one. You see why our scouts wanted him, he can dream up 163 ways to beat a defender and is so fast. But he just doesn't have a football brain, and also because he's central to South Africa's side he's constantly pulling 10 hour flights to go out there and play, and inevitably returns from international duty injured. He's spent over half the season out injured or in SA, he never gets a run in the side. The fee was 2.5m if he reached all his clauses and targets, which clearly he hasn't and probably won't sadly. I don't know how much we've paid exactly, but I'd guess at around half that. Still a lot of money that we likely won't be able to recoup on a player who is a bench option at best. To think he almost signed for Middlesborough as well at one time.

 

[HertsWolf]

Every Premiership title and every Championship title has been won by money. Football is no longer about lads with muddy sweatshirts watched by men with whippets and bankrolled by the largesse of the local fishmonger's cousin who has a lockup.

The skill comes in employing Scottish, Yorkshire, Italian, Dutch or Cockney men whose cousin has a lockup to spend that money wisely, signing future legends like Leon Clarke, Nigel Quashie, Billy the Fish and Bosko Balaban. The successful billionaire owner must be sassy enough to stay silent, wear his covert coat with pride alongside his 19 year old niece Ludmilla in his black Overfinch Range Rover and stay out of the dressing room.

Some clubs have worked the formula well (Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Bournemouth, Brentford) while some used to know how it worked (Wigan, Blackburn, Blackpool) but seem to have lost the recipe.

 

[SUTSS]

Lewis Grabban will play again this season which is great news.

 

[Super_horns]

Cannot see Bournemouth dropping more than 2 points now so between us and Norwich I feel for 2nd.

 

[MagpieBee]

Yeah, after tonight's result it's got to be pretty certain they get an automatic place

 

[Rammy]

Bournemouth seem to have forgotten that everyone loses, once they go top of the league

 

[PDS]

We'll all still drop points I'm confident of that, however things are looking very rosy at the top right now.

Sheffield Wednesday will be the ones to ruin for us, of that I'm certain

 

[Hooray]

I see Hughton teams are still completely useless in attack So glad we don't have to watch that shite anymore.

Bournemouth should do it now. A nice lead and a nice run-in. They'd need to completely fall apart to not seal a top two finish now. Three of us now fighting for that last automatic place.

Hoping Millwall can prevent Watford winning tomorrow, but I just think Watford are going to be too strong for a team who are so poor at the back. Boro you'd expect will see off Rotherham at home. I'm usually very confident for Norwich's games, but tomorrow will be difficult away at Bolton. They're pretty strong at home, and it remains to be seen how much of a loss Bradley Johnson will be. Although in saying that, I'd still expect us to go there and win the game.

 

[Rammy]

Can you all lose please, after we hopefully beat Brentford and go within two points of 2nd?

 

[Super_horns]

Well we have Forest away - wouldn't be surprised if we lost/drew there.

Also remember losing to Millwall at this stage of the season 2 seasons ago.

 

[LondonOrn]

Bournemouth should do it now. A nice lead and a nice run-in. They'd need to completely fall apart to not seal a top two finish now. Three of us now fighting for that last automatic place.

Not really, they could get 10 points in their last 4 games (I think Charlton away is their hardest fixture left) and still miss out on automatic if we both win all our remaining games.

Also remember losing to Millwall at this stage of the season 2 seasons ago.

Millwall are a lot worse though, they'd have been midtable two seasons ago were it not for an unusually high number of points needed to avoid relegation, and we're much more consistent against the poorer sides than we were under Zola. I'm expecting Brighton to be a lot tougher.

 

[Super_horns]

Good solid win today.

 

[MagpieBee]

Today could have gone much worse, I couldn't see Wolves losing, thankfully they have, and things stay largely as they are, but we should have won, and put ourselves firmly in the play offs.

Wolves have a couple more tough games, we have a relatively "easy" run in, so I am hopeful, but we can't keep throwing away points like we have in the last 2 games.

 

[SUTSS]

That could be this season's Simeon Jackson moment. A late goal to save a win at this stage of the season is massive/

 

[Rammy]

God knows how we're still 5th.

5. Derby 72
6. Ipswich 71
7. Brentford 71
8. Wolves 71

It's a tad close...

 

[Mr Elmo]

I really hope from somewhere we start playing well again, but I can't see it.

 

[Rammy]

I really hope from somewhere we start playing well again, but I can't see it.

If we manage to keep ourselves in the top six, we won't get to the final. Not a chance.

 

[Mr Elmo]

I would just have that feeling we would do the same as QPR - Do awful and just make the playoffs, before scraping through.

 

[Hooray]

HOOP! THERE IT IS!

Had a feeling we'd nick it. Delighted for Hooper, and for Alex Neil who decided a draw wasn't going to be good enough and piled on the strikers in those latter stages. A brave, brave manager. The new messiah.